Agitator



R. S. BLOUGH sept. 12, 1944.

Filed May 5. 1941 Y and possible failure.

Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED 'STATES PAT-ENT oFFicE- Ronald S. Blough, Fairfield, Iowa,v u

' Fairfield, Iowa, a corporation Dexter Company, of Iowa 2 Claims.

This vinvention relates to agitators for domestic washing machines of the general conventional and popular type illustrated' in the drawin'g. have commonly been cast in dies from aluminum, it lbeing highly desirable on accountI of the inertia of the rapidly reciprocating agitator to reduce the weight to the lightest practical point.

Under present war conditions aluminum may be withheld from use for non-essential industriesY and the washing machine industry is now assignor to The Application May 5, 1941, Serial No. 391,825

turning to substitute materials such as phenolic *j condensation products similar to the well-known Bakeliteand will hereinafter be referred to generically as Bakelite. Such materials are not as strong as aluminum, being particularly7 breakable by shock. In general, thick sections do not increase the strength in proportion to the weight,

therefore the optimum agitator considering all factors including cost, should be light in weight.'

Further, dies for moulding aluminum agitators are not adaptable for Bakelite because of the great pressure required for Bakelite moulding and the fluidity of such materials under heat and pressure moulding conditions. Whereas, dies made for aluminum agitators are commonly made in three or more parts split along vertical lines of the agitators, dies for Bakelite are better made in two parts with the parting line around the rim of the agitator base. There are many reasons for this: dies made in two parts with a horizontal continuous parting can be made tighter to thus withstand the high pressure fluid Bakelite; 'next any fins at the partings-A are immunized by the shorter parting and such fins are confined to a section of the agitator not in contact with the It must be borne in mind that unlike metallic parts, the surface skin of Bakelite products when unbroken is water-proof, whereas when broken, there is a tendency for the filler material within the body of the section to absorb water, thus causing increased weight, ditsortion ciated that the smoother the agitator, the less wear on the clothes.

Aluminum agitators are originally somewhatk porous and rough, and become more roughened by the etching of washing fluids and electrolytic action. Although hard on clothes, aluminum agitators are effective in their washing action, r

which is increased by reason of this surface roughness. Bakelite, on the other hand, is originally very smooth and being an inert material, is not affected by washing solutions and electrolytic action, and thus remains smooth.

It will further be apprey Although 55 Ythe radial rib in Bakelite agitators are easy on clothes, they lack someV washing .effectiveness because of their smooth surface. i

It is the particular `objectief this invention to provide an agitator structure adaptable for Bakelite moulding which is light in weight yet strong and effective in washing action.

yOther objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawing, it being understood that I" am describing` what is illustra; tive of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Now referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of my agitator;

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the agitator in Fig. 1, as it would appear on section lines Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional view of the base as it would appear on the section lines 33, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken cross sectional View of a vane as it wouldl appear on the section lines 44, Fig. 1.

I designate the general base of the agitator by the numeral I0, and the vertical'stem by the numeral II. There are three vertical corrugated radial vanes I2, I3 and I4 and intermediate of the vanes are three radial ribs inthe base, I5, I6, and I1.

Now referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted the radial ribs are formed by curved convex section I1 and that thus these ribs are formed in a substantially uniform cross section which does not appreciably increase the weight. Similarly, by referring to Fig. 4, the base of the vanes are formed by curved convex section I2'. It will be appreciated that this design is structurally strong and that the structure is attained by no appreciable increase in the volume of material. It will further be noted that the vanes I2, I3 and I4 are formed in vertical corrugations of practically uniform cross sections, and that this design is structurally strong without extensive increase in weight, and that the materials are used to best advantage because of the uniform thin cross sections involved.

It is well known in the art that clothes moving over an agitator are first sucked downward near the stem, and then the most ycontact with the vanes is radially outward. It will be appreciated that in this motion of the clothes over the vanes the corrugated structure here illustrated acts as a rub-board and is thus vane.

shown 2-2 driven radially outward, but

more effective than a straight plain It will further be appreciated that the radial Y sheet of material of relatively uniform thickness ribs I5, I6 and I 1 will be eiTective in creating and having vertical corrugations in opposite and protects it against shock when stru-ck on the 5 treme upper edge thereof, and radial ribs exbase between the vanes. t tending outwardly on the base between thervanes,

In moulding my agitator I provide a two part each of said ribs having concave sections formdie with a parting linel contiguous to the rim 0f ing opposite sides thereof, said sections being inthe base at thepoint l0' as shown in Fig. 2. tegral with the base and substantially of the same It will be appreciated then that all of the agitator l0 uniform thickness as the base.

above the point In' must be drafted to permit 2. An agitator molded of non-metallic matewithdrawal from the die. Consideration of the rial and comprising a circular base having a reladesign and the product Will show that my' agita- Y tively small hollow central vertical stem upstandmanner, and that the whole may be produced lo radial vanes extending from said stem over the rial and greatest strength. Y Y of each vane with the lower edge of said vane Having thus described my invention, vI claim and integral with both, each of said vanes above as new: 20 said concave sections comprising a single solid 1. An agitator molded of non-metallic matesheet of material of relatively uniform thickness rial and comprising a circular base having a relaand having vertical corrugations in opposite walls radial vanes extending from said stem over the 25 edge thereof, and radial ribs extending outwardly of each vane with the lower edge of said vane the same uniform thickness as the base.

said concave sections comprising a single solid lo Y RONALD S. BLOUGH. 

